That’s the message that we want to share every year. And we want all children to hear this message too. That’s why I came up with and built FOBBS to inspire our children.
When I was younger I loved playing the Sega Mega Drive. My siblings and I mainly played side scrollers as that was mostly what was available at the time. Unlike today, the pick of games was very limited. But even more limited was the variety of characters to play within those games. Most were White males but sometimes a Black male would be an option or even a White female like in Streets of Rage, but no one was exactly like me. Nevertheless, I always gravitated towards either the White female, or the Black male depending on which was remaining (there were usually four of us ready to play a two player game).I didn’t even think why I wanted to play a character that mostly resembled myself back then, I just always wanted those ones. That simple longing to see ourselves in everyday life is something that’s ingrained into us. I have always heard the phrase “You can’t be what you can’t see”. Most recently I heard this at the Women in Business and Tech event in October by Emily Hall-Strutt the Director of Next Tech Girls. Wholeheartedly, I know that this statement is true. Maybe it’s partly down to my nature to always try things, but mainly because you believe in what you can see. I have found this to be exactly true for me as I venture through life. Yes, I have tried things that I haven’t seen people like myself doing, but truthfully, I’m more nervous and apprehensive about this new thing than when I have seen someone (and especially someone that looks like me) achieve it.And that is why I wanted to build a product that showcased and highlighted Black British figures, so that I can show those doing great things in many fields to make people believe that they can also follow in their path too.So download the latest version of the FOBBS app which has 11 NEW FIGURES added and a brand new look. Out now on iOS and Android.
Happy New Year!
